H&T Group

Industry: Finance, Banking & Insurance
Company size: 1,001-5,000 employees
CyberOne solution: Assure365 - MXDR as a Service, SD-WAN
Products: Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender XDR, CATO SASE

Overview

H&T Group Plc, a leading UK pawnbroking and financial services provider, operates nearly 300 stores nationwide. It offers services such as pawnbroking, personal loans, foreign exchange, cheque cashing and retail of pre-owned jewellery and luxury items.

The financial services and pawnbroking industry faces significant cyber security challenges due to strict regulatory requirements, the necessity to protect sensitive customer information and the rise in sophisticated cyber threats. As digital transactions increasingly become the norm, companies like H&T must continuously enhance their cyber security measures to ensure compliance, prevent security breaches, maintain customer trust and mitigate financial and reputational risks.

The Challenge

Despite significant investment in IT infrastructure and cyber security systems, by 2021, H&T Group Plc faced substantial issues with its existing Security Operations Centre (SOC) and MXDR as a Service.

The primary challenge was inadequate communication, responsiveness and transparency from their existing partner, which limited H&T’s ability to assess service effectiveness confidently. Without proactive communication and detailed security insights, H&T struggled to validate the strength of its cyber security posture.

Consequently, the company sought a new provider capable of delivering transparent communication, proactive threat detection, measurable outcomes and improved cyber security performance.

The Solution

After conducting a thorough market review, H&T Group Plc selected CyberOne as its cyber security partner. They implemented the Assure 365 Managed Security Service powered by Microsoft Sentinel. CyberOne seamlessly transitioned H&T to its managed Security Operations Centre (SOC) and Managed eXtended Detection and Response (MXDR) services, providing comprehensive visibility and actionable insights across H&T’s security landscape.

The CyberOne team quickly integrated SentinelOne endpoint security logs into Microsoft Sentinel, ensuring robust threat detection and rapid response capabilities. Regular, transparent communication and customised reporting were prioritised, enabling proactive cyber security management tailored to H&T’s specific regulatory and business challenges.

The Results

The partnership with CyberOne yielded a number of significant benefits for H&T Group:

Improved Security Posture
Comprehensive SOC and MXDR services significantly strengthened cyber security, ensuring robust protection across H&T’s nationwide operations.
Enhanced Regulatory Compliance
Strengthened adherence to financial industry regulations, meeting and exceeding stringent compliance obligations with proactive monitoring, improved reporting and timely incident response.
Reduced Reputational Risk
Effectively prevented cyber security incidents through proactive threat detection, protecting the company’s reputation and maintaining customer trust in a highly competitive industry.
Advanced Endpoint Protection Integration
Integrated SentinelOne endpoint protection with Microsoft Sentinel, enhancing threat visibility and enabling rapid and effective responses to cyber security events.
Rapid SD-WAN Migration
Conducted a comprehensive review of H&T’s SDWAN infrastructure, successfully migrating to the Cato SASE solution 3 months ahead of schedule, achieving increased operational efficiency, security and resilience.
Minimised Financial and Operational Impact
Enhanced cyber security capabilities significantly reduced potential financial losses and operational disruptions, ensuring continuous service delivery and safeguarding customer data.

This comprehensive solution delivered by CyberOne has positioned H&T Group Plc with robust, cost-effective and resilient cyber security infrastructure, supporting ongoing growth and operational excellence.

Partnering with CyberOne has significantly enhanced our cyber security capabilities, providing us with the required proactive support, visibility and expertise. Their regular, detailed communication and actionable insights have greatly improved our understanding of potential threats, allowing us to respond rapidly and effectively.
CyberOne’s deep industry knowledge and collaborative approach have noticeably elevated our security posture. This proactive engagement has given us greater confidence in our ability to safeguard customer data, maintain regulatory compliance and ensure our operations remain secure, allowing us to confidently focus on growing our core business.

Stuart MurdochSystem Operations Team Leader, H&T Group PLC